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What this blog is about

To the grocery store, up a mountain, across the country or to the finish line--

it's all an adventure.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Topeak Bar Extender

When I toured across the country, my Arkel handlebar bag was always with me- on and off the bike. It held valuables, calories and anything else I wanted instantly accessible- like a pad of paper for making ambitious grocery lists or miscalculating mileage.

There was only one problem- the bag, like most, sat high enough that it would prevent a handlebar-mounted light from being useful. My on-the-road solution was to jam my light in the side mesh pocket and hope that I'd been eating my carrots. It worked okay, but wasn't a great long-term solution.

There are a few ways to solve this problem.

1. Get a lower mounting bag like randonneurs use. But I like my bag, and I like where it sits.

2. Mount a light onto the fork. A great option if I had a MiNewt 250 cordless, but my light utilizes a cord and separate battery pack, which would be a mess. I couldn't mount there when I have front panniers while touring anyway.

3. Hack a mount onto a front rack. Perhaps if I had a 'flat top' front rack, but I've got an OMM low rider- which isn't conducive to hacking.